It seems as though most Belmont students spend a lot of time sifting through their Spotify libraries, assigning songs to moods and events and even months. After making a few myself, I decided to lend a hand to those who may not know where to start—here are a few tips on how to perfect your playlist!
Step One: Choose a Theme
You have to start somewhere, and choosing how you want to feel when you put this playlist on is the most vital beginning to picking the most epic jams. Are you feeling sad? Nostalgic? Fierce? A combination of all three? You can make that work. Remember: this is what you make it, and it doesn’t always have to be for others to hear.
Step Two: Think of five songs.
Once you have your theme picked out, consider what songs put you into that headspace. Usually, there about five songs I know will put me in a certain mood. For example: “Secondhand News” by Fleetwood Mac never fails to make me happy. It’s on most of my upbeat playlists. If you’re having a hard time coming up with five right off the bat, no worries—move at your own speed.
Step Three: Expand upon those songs.
Connect the dots— artists will usually have more than one song suitable for your playlist. Don’t want your whole queue to end up being Ryan Adams and Beyonce? I get it. There’s actually a nifty tool on Spotify which helps you find similar songs to the ones you’ve already added, if you scroll all the way to the bottom.
Step Four: Put the songs in order.
I am a stickler for transitions, so I usually listen to the ends and beginnings of songs to see where they fit best with one another. If you’re not into that, simply drag them in random order or press shuffle! Always knowing which song you get to lip sync next can be pretty cool, though.
Step Five: Name your playlist.
You’ve made it! You’ve spent so much time and effort putting together a group of comprehensive songs, and you’re so close to reaping the benefits the next time the time is right. Naming the playlist can be simplistic, artistic, honest, or even funny. If you hate the title later, you can just double click the name and change it to something else.
Step Six: Listen!!!
Crank it up! Share it with your friends, if you like! You can even send it to your mom (I do this sometimes)! Put in your headphones and make your life an ideal music video fit to your life, and have fun with it!
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